The Cardinals completed their most dominant weekend in recent years over the weekend, completing the rare four-game sweep of the Milwaukee Brewers. The potential of the team has never been in doubt, yet the reality of it had been. The team put that to rest for the moment, as the offense woke up in a major way, cranking out 48 hits across the series, while surrendering only 12 runs across the series. These runs surrendered actually came from the starting rotation mostly, as the bullpen, propelled by some new additions, became a strength for the team, holding the lead in a way that has been uncharacteristic far too often this season.

All in all, the team leaves for the next stop on its current NL Central road spin, firmly ahead in the division and tied with the Boston Red Sox for the best record in baseball. The current six-game win streak the club is on is its second longest in the last four seasons, and also gives them four more road wins than any team in the National League. Here are three of the major factors that have played into the series that was.

1. Heart of lineup wakes up: Many of the struggles of the offense getting started this year has come at the heart of it. Matt Holliday has hit at a rate much lower than his average career output, and Allen Craig was a cleanup hitter than couldn’t hit the ball over the fence…or do much else of anything unless there was already somebody in place. And quite often, Holliday’s issue spilled into Craig’s, and it was just as frustrating to get them started as watching somebody try to bite their own ear.

Well, the power source of the club got to their job over the weekend, and it was no coincidence at all that the team had its best production of the year thus far as well. Holliday stepped into his usual role as a hammer, rocking the Brewers to the tone of a .333 average, 5 RBI and two home runs, including a monstrous 460 foot shot on Friday. Cardinal left fielder also scored seven runs in 3 games, and Craig is the cause of several of those. Craig had a prolific series, driving in seven runs on eight hits, including a double, triple and his first home run of the season. Overall, he hit .470 for the series, and got his clutch-hitting stats up to 22 RBI and a .412 average with runners in scoring position.

2. Baby Birds Hatched: The two most shocking moves of the season were both the comings and goings from the bullpen. In mercifully moving the struggling Mitchell Boggs and Marc Rzepczynski to Memphis to work out their issues, the club brought up two of its best minor league starters to boost the pen. Seth Maness and, more shockingly, Carlos Martinez came up and immediately showcased why they have the billing they brought with them.

Maness, the organization’s minor league pitcher of the year in 2012, made two appearances, and quickly earned his stripes. He induced a bases-loaded double play in the eighth inning in his second appearance to hold off the Brewers and set up the club’s third win of the series. Martinez made a stunning impact, showcasing the high-90’s fastball that made him a Top 25 prospect in all of baseball a year ago. Both showed that the potential of the much-hyped Cardinal system is living up to the eye test standard as well.

3. Thawing Out: After entering the series in the worst stretch of his career, David Freese joined the break out party as well. He had three multi-hit games to start the series, and looked much more comfortable than he had all season. It was an encouraging effort from the laboring Freese to come to life and beginning to bring the much needed balance to the lower half of the Cardinal lineup.

COMMENTARY | The St. Louis Cardinals have one of the most potent offenses in Major League Baseball and have for the last few seasons. Beyond the starting eight players, there are very few hitters that strike fear into pitchers late in a game.

Meet Matt Adams.

At six-foot, three-inches tall and 260 pounds, it is easy to mistake Adams for a visiting player from the St. Louis Rams instead of the first base prospect that he is. His imposing frame gives a glimpse into what he brings to the team: power.

The bench for the Cardinals became barren of power at many times last season. Outfielders Shane Robinson and Adron Chambers became frequent answers for a pinch-hitting assignment late in the game. Once on base, these outfielders could wreak havoc with their speed but in key, run-producing situations, it was hard to be confident in the chance they gave the team.

Adams is just the opposite. A large man that is surprisingly agile, Adams has a smooth, left-handed swing that will spray the ball to all fields. More importantly, Adams swing is custom made to lift the ball over every fence in the ballpark. His gap power yields many doubles which will make a combination of late-inning pinch-hit assignments for him while providing pinch-running assignments for players like Robinson and Ryan Jackson.

Read more about Matt Adams’ potential impact with the Cardinals by clicking here.

Here at i70baseball, we do not host or sponsor any Fantasy Baseball Leagues.

That’s not to say we don’t participate and have some fun.

Friends of the site, Through The Fence Baseball, host a number of leagues and they need some help filling them up.  The guys over there sent the following information and asked us to pass it along.

As a guy who has lacked in home run power over the beginning of his career in Kansas City, Billy Butler, has taken the bull by the horns this season setting a new career high in home runs only 111 games into the 2012 season.  Butler is on pace to become the first Royal to hit 30 home runs in a season since Jermaine Dye did it in 2000. A 12 year drought could be broken by a player who for most of his young career has been criticized for not having enough power for not only his stature but also his position being designated hitter.

The power has changed from double to home runs this season mainly because instead of relying on his upper body to do all the work at the plate Butler has worked hard to get his legs stronger over the last 9 months and using them at the plate has equated into more lift on balls that are now carrying over the fence instead of bouncing off of the warning track.  One stat that has not been given enough credit was his ability to hit the double.  Trailing only New York Yankee second basemen in doubles since the beginning of the 2009 season, Butler has 158 two baggers, according to Baseball-Reference.  That is an astounding number that seems to have been pushed away because they are not turning into home runs. Everyone believes that if you have to power to hit that many doubles then you have the power to hit home runs. It does not work that way because it is not about the power or strength but the swing that the hitter has.  Over the first parts of his career Butler seemed to not lift the ball when it was needed and would use a more level swing that resulted in line drives in the gaps instead of towering fly balls into the stands.  But until the last two season Butler simply was not supposed to be the guy who hit the ball over the wall and gave the team the offensive lift they need. He has been asked to be a hitter and a hitter he has been.  But now he needs to continue to show the power he has shown so far in 2012.

On pace for 34 home runs this season two shy of the club record of 36 set in 1985 by the powerful Steve Balboni. The amount of home runs is not what stands out the most in the case of Butler.  The fact that he recognized that as the hitting leader of this team the best way to do that is lead by example.  In the off season he saw that he needed to work on his weakness of strength in his lower body which would help get more lift on the baseball and turn doubles in the gaps into home runs into the seats.

The philosophy that both Butler and hitting coach Kevin Seitzer have taken in the 2012 sea on seems to be working not only in the power department but a continued success to all fields for Butler. His doubles have gone down but that is what happens when the ball that were hitting the fence are now traveling over the fence.  To ask a guy to hit 30 home runs for the first time in his career and continue a pace of 47 doubles per year for the last three seasons would be outrageous.  The statistic that continues to slipped the minds of critics of Butler is the fact that the man is only 26 years old.  By comparison to other designated hitters of past that people would like to see Bulter become Edgar Martinez did not hit 30 home runs in a season until he was 37 years old.  he did flirt with 30 home runs in 1995 which still was when he was 33 years old.

Comparing the two a bit more in Martinez’s first 6 seasons in the major leagues he hit 91 home runs, 204 doubles, with 381 RBI while having a batting average of .290.  Now Butler in his first six seasons, which as of right now is 13 at bats less than Martinez had at this point in his career, has hit 97 home runs, 203 doubles, with 445 RBI and a batting average of .298, according to Baseball-Reference. If Butler continues to improve on an already good beginning to his career and progresses faster than Martinez did in Seattle than the Royals could have a once in a lifetime statistic wonder on their hands.

Everyone knew that Butler was going to be a hitter but hitters do not alway produce.  Having a guy that is going to consistently flirt with a three hundred average which never seems to dip under .290 nor exceed .315 is something that can be found anywhere but having that same guy perform with the production that Butler has shown in just six years is priceless.  He started out as two eggs over easy with a side of toast and now has turned into a full country breakfast.  But over the season to come all we can do is wait and see if Butler can become the Thanksgiving dinner to lead the Royals to success in September and beyond.

This weekend marks the last weekend for seven more months that we won’t have at least some Major League Baseball to enjoy.  Of course, the season has already started, but MLB is balancing on the fence between “we’re excited to play games in Japan, and give those fans something to enjoy” and “we still want to make Opening night between the St. Louis Cardinals and Miami Marlins a huge event”.  Another spring full of meaningless games has almost come to an official close, and the next chapter will begin in a matter of days.

The same is true for our beloved St. Louis Cardinals.  Well chronicled are the events of this past offseason, and departures for various reasons: retirement, free agency, re-prioritizing things in life, as well as moving on to other organizations (in the National League Central…for now) to name the most commonly recognized ones.  Since the Cardinals won their 11th World Championship five months ago, no fewer than three Hall of Fame-caliber people have left the organization, you could easily argue a higher number.  That doesn’t even count losing Dave McKay, Jeff Luhnow, and Barry Weinberg, among others.

Let’s see: Back, Gone, Gone, Back but still injured from this night, Gone, Back, Gone

New roles have been filled by new faces–some faces are new to the major-league level, and some are new to a non-player role, but few (if any) are new to the Cardinals organization. So, as the redbirds head into the 2012 season to defend their World Championship title, they’ll be doing so with a very different look of leadership in that dugout, that bullpen, and even on the field. But that is not news to you or I, or at least, it shouldn’t be.

It’s time, as we go into this final weekend without meaningful baseball games, and reflect on the Cardinals’ recent past, be thankful for what we, as fans, were able to enjoy.

And then, friends, it is time to move the hell on.

I’ll be the first to admit, I’m likely to mention Tony LaRussa and/or Dave Duncan in future articles and conversation here & there, but it’s time for all of us to get past what has been, and get excited about what’s about to be!

Albert Pujols?  He’s gone, ok?  But I’ve said before that, just like basketball or golf, baseball is not a game where one player can dramatically impact the outcome as much as in some other sports.  He was one man, he’s gone, and the Cardinals are still a very, very strong team if you’d not noticed.  Whether you wish him the best, wish him the worst, or something other than either of those, you’ll have to do so from halfway across the country, starting most nights at 9:10pm Central Daylight Time.  He’s not a Cardinal anymore–let’s respect what he accomplished while wearing the birds on the bat, and move on.  Berkman’s solid, Craig is more than adequate, and Adams looks very very promising.  There’s no “hole” at first base for this team.

LaRussa’s gone too, and sure, a large portion of the fanbase is still hungover from the huge party they threw when he announced his retirement.  But, love him or hate him, he won baseball games, and there are two more World Championship flags that fly over Busch today than were here when he arrived.  He revolutionized the way bullpens are used in the game today, and I suspect there’s no shortage of relief pitchers (and agents of these relief pitchers) who are grateful for the changes he brought to the game.  There will be things about his management style that will be missed, just as there are things that won’t.  But, he’s gone.  Mike Matheny is the new skipper, and he’s the one Cardinal nation needs to get behind and support–not blindly defend his every decision, but support him in his role as the leader of this ballclub.

Duncan may very well be the first pitching coach elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame.  Plenty of others have said that, including some of the national media folks, so it isn’t just me drinking the Kool-Aid.  This man is a once-in-a-generation type, and will sorely be missed.  Lilliquist is more than capable, and you know what?  He’s going to have to be, because the Deacon is no longer around.  His priceless expertise, the books upon books upon books he’s known for keeping, the calming spirit he brought, and the magic he bestowed on the Woody Williamsessesess’ of the league are great memories of the past, but will not be a part of the future.

Many thought Walt Jocketty could do no wrong during his tenure at the helm as General Manager in St. Louis.  He moved on, and things worked out just fine.  St. Louis is a city (and a fan base) that loathes change of any kind–it makes the entire area very, very nervous.  The guys over at Joe Sports Fan have countless examples of fans who are walking around “the 314” TODAY wondering why Bo Hart & Stubby Clapp aren’t on the 40-man roster.

“Bring back ________” is a common mantra, because there’s such a strong aversion to letting go of the past.  I CLEARLY recall the day the old arena near highway 40 (I live here, I don’t have to call it “Interstate 64”:) and Hampton.  Traffic stopped on 40 when they were getting ready to bring “the old barn” down.  Protests were held.  Tears were shed.  Listen, I’m not saying it didn’t hurt a little bit inside when that last section of Busch II fell to the ground, but you can’t keep up and stay competitive in this business if you don’t grow…and growth, without change, is impossible.

So, peace out, Albert, Tony, Dave and others.  Thanks for what you gave to this city, the Cardinals franchise, and the memories we have because of the things you did.  Thank you for the best years of your lives, and for living lives that allow us to pass stories and lessons on to our children–the next generation of Cardinals fans.  We might not exchange Christmas cards, but hit us up on Facebook, and we’ll probably like a photo or a comment here & there to stay in touch.  But, since I root for the name on the front of the jersey before rooting for the name on the back, I’ve gotta let you go.

Old friend of I-70, Wally Fish (of Kings Of Kauffman fame), has a site known as Seedlings To The Stars. They are currently in the process of counting down their top 100 prospects and we thought our readers might like to drop by there for some insight. Below are I-70 players that are currently profiled. Drop by the site and read up on the future of your favorite franchise.

The Seedlings To Stars 2012 Top 100 Prospects, #16: Wil Myers
Nathan Stoltz of Seedlings To The Stars says:

It’s not easy to hold one’s own in a Double-A lineup at age 20, and that’s exactly what Myers did in 2011. He had already blown apart both A-ball levels in 2010 as a teenager, so he has a strong track record.

Myers showed a bit of everything in his game this past year, walking 12.5% of the time and posting a 5/3 K/BB ratio. He ripped 23 doubles in 99 games, and some of his doubles should start clearing the fence as he matures. Myers even stole nine bases in 11 attempts.

Myers then crushed the Arizona Fall League in the offseason, hitting .360/.481/.674 with more walks than strikeouts and 14 extra-base hits in 23 games.

Read the full profile on Wil Myers by clicking here.

The Seedlings To Stars 2012 Top 100 Prospects, #8: Shelby Miller
Nathan Stoltz of Seedlings To The Stars says:

Miller followed up an excellent 2010 season with a truly dominating performance in High-A as a 20-year-old, striking out a whopping 13.75 batters per nine innings. He then moved up to Double-A for the majority of the year, where he continued to strike out over a batter per inning and held his walk rate steady at 3.4 BB/9. He also allowed just four home runs all season, an impressive feat; his Double-A home park is probably the most hitter-friendly stadium at that level.

More than any sort of statistical dominance, Miller’s always been known for having a very powerful right arm. He whips fastballs in the 93-96 range with excellent riding life up in the zone, and he backs it up with a solid curveball and a workable changeup. His delivery is extremely simple and effortless, so he isn’t sacrificing durability for the sake of velocity. At 6’3″ and a sturdy 200 lbs. he’s built to pitch deep into games.

Red the full profile on Shelby Miller by clicking here.

If prospects are what you are looking for and you want the most in-depth analysis available, all of us here at I-70 would suggest you drop by Seedlings To The Stars often. I know it is sitting at the top of my bookmarks currently.

Bill Ivie is the editor here at I-70 Baseball as well as the Assignment Editor for BaseballDigest.com.
He is the host of I-70 Radio, hosted every week on BlogTalkRadio.com.
Follow him on Twitter here.

After a tumultuous three game set against the Cincinnati Reds last week, the Cardinals found themselves the talk of baseball. They rolled in to town two games back of the Reds and left town one game up, but in the end people were talking less about the standings and more about what happened off the diamond and outside the chalk lines of Great American Ballpark.

Much has been made of the fracas that occurred between the Reds and Cardinals, starting with Reds’ second baseman Brandon Phillips running his mouth and ending with suspensions and fines for five players and both managers. It eventually came to light that Phillips’ comment of “I hate the Cardinals,” was not such a foreign concept. The rivalry between the two teams suddenly felt very real, and fans on both sides of the fence were studying up on the other team, finding new and creative ways to lob shots at the other side.

As far as the Reds and the Cardinals go, there is not a long history between the two teams in terms of having bad blood towards the other. There might have been little things here and there over the years, which is not surprising considering both teams have been in existence and playing against each other since the 1800’s. Most of the bad blood seems to have come in the past year or two, perhaps starting when the Cardinals’ pitching staff complained about slick baseballs. On October 9, 2009, John Smoltz first lodged a complaint that the game-used balls were not properly prepared for the game, and on April 5 of this year (that would be opening day), Chris Carpenter made the same complaint. On top of that, managers Tony LaRussa and Dusty Baker have been around the block with each other several times before, and it never gets more cordial, only more dramatic.

Now the two teams have been neck and neck all year long for the lead in the NL Central. Neither team has fallen off or backed down, despite having several opportunities to either pull away or concede the lead to the other. Combine this past week with the upcoming series over Labor Day weekend in St. Louis – the last time the two teams will meet this season – and it is more than safe to say that this rivalry will not be finding a happy conclusion this year.

In a little more distant history, the Cardinals have found a tough opponent in the Houston Astros. From 2001-2006, the team ended the season in first or second place in the Central, and made it to the postseason three times, finally reaching the World Series in 2005 before bowing out against the Chicago White Sox. For those few years the Astros were somewhat of a second half team, seemingly coasting through the first half of the schedule before hitting the gas and going full throttle from the beginning of the dog days of summer through the end of September.

In both 2004 and 2005 the Cards and Astros met up in the NLCS to duke it out for the NL pennant. Both series were thrilling, providing breath-taking home runs, dominant pitching performances and flashy plays with the glove that made highlight reels for years to come. While not bitter rivals, there was definitely a more intense feel every time the two teams met for a few years.

That said, when most people think of the Cardinals and their rivals, the Chicago Cubs are usually the first team to come up. The two teams have played each other an astounding 2145 times since 1901, with the all-time standings sitting at 1042 wins for the Cards and 1086 wins for the Cubs (including Saturday’s win). No other team besides the Pittsburgh Pirates is within spitting distance of this astounding number of times these two teams have squared off. The history is well chronicled, and born-and-bred fans from both sides will tell you that the first thing their parents taught them about baseball was that their team was the Cards or Cubs, and you could be a fan of any team except the other side of that line.

Aaron Hooks had a piece over on Baseball Digest about the Cards/Cubs rivalry before the first series of this year. He pointed out that while this is one of the most storied rivalries in baseball, they have experienced a strong lack of relevance since the inception of the NL Central in 1994. Both teams have made the playoffs several times since then, but the two teams have not ever really battled for a division crown in the same year in that time frame.

That does not stop fans from taking every opportunity to revel in their team taking a win from the other side. Every series, no matter the relevance (or lack there-of) brings a little extra spark to the city hosting. The usually good natured ribbing and knowledge of each other results in a rivalry that has stood the test of time, and is unlikely to fade in the near future no matter how good or bad either team is from year to year.

Each one of these teams’ players and fans has a different reason to ‘hate’ the Cardinals. Where does that hate come from? It could be that there is some bad blood, whether it stems from former teammates and executives scorned or a few pitches that came a little too close to opposing batters. It could be that the fans make more of it than it is, which is what I suspect is the case (at least in recent history) for the Cubs.

However, the most likely reason in my mind is this: more often than not, the Cardinals win. They have up years and down years, but a team with more World Series titles and pennants than any other team in the National League, a long and storied history and a knowledgeable fan base that keeps the memories alive is always going to be a team that others love to hate. Perhaps Michael Wilbon said it best last week on ESPN’s “Pardon the Interruption” when he said, “As a Cub fan, I grew up hating the Cardinals. Part of why I hate them so much is because they’re such an admirable team. You call them out, they kick your butt.”

Not all fans feel the same respect as Mr. Wilbon, but as long as the Cardinals always remember to back up their words with their play, the truth remains: St. Louis does baseball right, no matter who the rival is on any given day.

Angela Weinhold covers the Cardinals for i70baseball.com, BaseballDigest.com and writes at Cardinal Diamond Diaries. You may follow her on Twitter here or follow Cardinal Diamond Diaries here.